A2986

Soil calcium to
magnesium ratios
Should you be concerned?
E. E. Schulte and K.A. Kelling

hile some sales people and

scientists have claimed that there
is an ideal soil calcium to magnesium
ratio (Ca:Mg), and that Wisconsin soils
contain too much magnesium for the
amount of calcium present, research
in Wisconsin shows this is not true.
The Ca:Mg ratio seldom limits plant
growth if soil pH is maintained in the
good growing range. Thus, we do not
recommend applying calcium materials
to soils simply to increase the Ca:Mg
ratios.

What is a Ca:Mg ratio?

he calcium to magnesium ratio is

merely a statement of the relative
proportions of available calcium and
magnesium in the soil. It does not give
any information about the actual levels
of these elements.
For example, one soil may have
exchangeable calcium and magnesium
levels of 250 and 50 lb/a, respectively,
while another soil may have 2,500 and
500 lb/a of exchangeable calcium and
magnesium. Both have identical Ca:
Mg ratios. However, in the first soil
mentioned, both nutrients would be
marginally low, and in the second soil,
they would be present in adequate
amounts.
Ca:Mg ratios also can be
misleading in other ways. For
example, a low Ca:Mg ratio reflects
one of two possible situations: (1) a
soil with low exchangeable calcium
and normal magnesium, or (2) a soil
with normal exchangeable calcium and
high magnesium. It is impossible to
distinguish between these two cases
using only a ratio. On the other hand,
a high Ca:Mg ratio means there is
either (1) too little magnesium relative

to calcium, or (2) calcium is excessive

relative to magnesium.

The Ca:Mg concept

he idea that a proper Ca:Mg

balance is necessary for good plant
growth was conceived by New Jersey
researchers in 1901: They recommended
a total Ca:Mg ratio of about 5:4.
However, soil scientists soon recognized
that total element analysis is difficult
and not necessarily a good measure
of the amount of nutrients available
to plants. Subsequently, soil scientists
began searching for other methods of
measuring nutrient availability.
Over the years, testing for
exchangeable calcium and
magnesium has been found to give
reasonably good estimates of the
amounts of these elements potentially
available to plants. Exchangeable
calcium and magnesium are attracted
to negatively charged sites on clay and
organic matter in soil where they are
not easily leached from the soil but are
available to plants. Currently, almost all
soil testing laboratories in the United
States use the test for exchangeable
calcium and magnesium. However,
this test may be interpreted differently
depending on the research upon which
it is based.
For example, the New Jersey study
determined that the ideal alfalfa soil
should have 65% of the cation exchange
sites occupied by calcium, 10% by
magnesium, 5% by potassium and 20%
by hydrogen. However, further research
has shown that these percentages can
vary considerably without affecting
crop yields. For example, the percent of
exchangeable sites occupied by calcium
can range from 55 to 75% without any

Soil calcium to magnesium ratiosShould you be concerned?

yield reduction, as long as magnesium
and potassium are present in adequate
amounts.
Recent work in several states
suggests that the optimum percent
saturation of exchange sites with a
given cation is not constant but depends
on the cation exchange capacity of the
soil. Sandy or coarse-textured soils
have a low cation exchange capacity
and require a higher percent potassium
saturation. On the other hand, mediumor fine-textured soils have a high cation
exchange capacity and do not require as
high a percent of potassium saturation.
The mineralogy of the soil is also
an important factor in determining
optimum percent saturation of
exchange sites with a given cation.
Some soils, such as the reddish soils
of eastern and northern Wisconsin,
can release significant amounts of
nonexchangeable potassium. The
optimum percent potassium saturation
is lower for these soils than soils having
little nonexchangeable potassium.

Because of these differences in the

cation exchange capacity of soils and
soil mineralogy, the concepts of cation
ratio and percent base saturation cannot
be applied to all soils. In addition,
research on other states soils does not
necessarily apply to Wisconsin soils.
According to an early survey,
calcium and magnesium levels in
Wisconsin soils vary considerably.
Calcium content ranged from 50 lb
exchangeable calcium/a (in Boone
loamy sand (Monroe County) with a
Ca:Mg ratio of 1:1 to 18,000 lb/a in a
Westerville silt loam (Richland County)
with a ratio of 5.1:1.
Exchangeable magnesium ranged
from 26 lb/a in an Ottawa loamy sand
(Juneau County) with a Ca:Mg ratio of
4.6:1 to 8,340 lb/a magnesium in a Pella
silt loam (Kenosha County) with a ratio
of 0.3:1. This latter sample was the only
sample of 668 taken in Wisconsin where
the Ca:Mg ratio was less than 1:1. At
other sites, Pella silt loam had Ca:Mg
ratios between 3:1 and 4:1.
Table 1 shows that most of the
common soil types in the state have
Ca:Mg ratios that range from 1:1 to 8:1.

Table 1. Ratio of exchangeable calcium to exchangeable

magnesium in some Wisconsin soils.a
Soil

Ca:Mg ratio

Soil

Ca:Mg ratio

Antigo

4.0:1

Norden

8.1:1

Almena

3.2:1

Onaway

6.7:1

Boone

1.0:1

Ontonagon

4.0:1

Dubuque

4.0:1

Pella

3.9:1

Fayette

6.3:1

Plainfield

6.1:1

Gale

4.3:1

Plano

3.3:1

Freer

3.7:1

Poygan

4.3:1

Kewaunee

3.1:1

Withee

3.5:1

Marathon

7.7:1

Morley

4.0:1

aRatio

expressed on pounds per acre exchangeable basis. These may be converted to an

equivalent weight basis by multiplying by 0.61.

More recently, test results from

Wisconsin soil testing laboratories
(January 1977 to December 1981) found
the average levels of exchangeable
calcium and magnesium to be 2,830
and 745 lb/a, respectively. This gives an
average Ca:Mg ratio of 3.8:1. Less than
1% of the 34,755 samples analyzed for
calcium had less than 250 lb Ca/a, and
4.8% contained more than 6,000 lb/a.
Only 0.2% of these samples contained
less than 25 lb Mg/a and 5.8% had more
than 1,600 lb/a.

Wisconsin research

ome experimental work in

Wisconsin varied the Ca:Mg ratio
by adding gypsum (CaSO4) and/or
Epsom salts (MgSO4) to two soils,
Theresa silt loam (pH 6.8) and Plainfield
loamy sand (pH 6.8). Phosphorus,
potassium and sulfur were maintained
at optimal levels throughout the
experiment. Corn and alfalfa were
grown as indicator crops.
Table 2 shows the changes in alfalfa
yield resulting from varying the Ca:
Mg ratio. The results for corn, which
yielded 100 and 140 bu/a in 1974 and
1975, respectively, are essentially the
same as those for alfalfa.
According to this study, varying
the Ca:Mg ratio from slightly above
2 to more than 8 did not significantly
affect yield on either soil. Adding
calcium and magnesium to the soil did
change the percent calcium saturation
of the exchange sites from anywhere
between 32 to 68% and the magnesium
saturation from 35 to 12% (Table 2). In
general, the Ca:Mg ratio in the plant
increased with increasing the Ca:Mg
ratio in the soil, although much more
slowly and not always consistently. This
demonstrates the selective ability of
the plant in taking up nutrients. At all
sites and for all crops, the calcium and
magnesium levels in the soil and plants
were above the deficient ranges. See
Extension publications Soil and Applied
Calcium (A2523) and Soil and Applied
Magnesium (A2524).

Thus, if adequate levels of calcium

and magnesium are present in the
soil, variations in the Ca:Mg ratio
between 2 and 8 have no effect on yield,
and varying the calcium saturation
percentage from 32% to 68% and
magnesium from 35% to 12% also do
not influence yield.
These results are not surprising
considering the way that calcium and
magnesium are supplied to plants.
These nutrients are moved to the
roots in the water which the plant
uses. A corn crop transpires between
250,000 and 400,000 gallons/a water
during the growing season. By
multiplying the amount of water used
by the concentration of calcium and
magnesium in the soil solution, you get

an estimate of the amount of calcium

and magnesium supplied to the root
surface. For most Wisconsin soils, about
250 to 400 lb/a calcium and 100 to 160
lb/a magnesium are supplied to the
root surface through transpired water.
These values are much greater
than the 26 to 40 lb/a calcium and
15 to 30 lb/a magnesium taken up
by a 150 bu/a corn crop. Thus, the
amounts of these nutrients taken up
are determined by the selectivity of the
roots. The remainder accumulates in the
immediate vicinity of the roots.

Therefore, it is doubtful that the

supply of calcium and magnesium to
the root surfaces would ever be limiting
under Wisconsin conditions where
soil pH is maintained in good growing
range. The Ca:Mg ratio seldom will be
the dominant factor determining calcium
and magnesium uptake by plants. This
was shown by the small variations in the
tissue Ca:Mg ratio when the soil Ca:Mg
ratio was varied (table 2).

Table 2. Effect of varying Ca:Mg ratios on yield and calcium and magnesium
levels in alfalfa.
Ca:Mg ratio
Soila
Plant

% exchange saturation
Ca
Mg

Yieldb (t/a)

Theresa silt loam

2.28c

2.15

34

35

3.31

3.40

2.36

45

22

3.31

4.06

2.53

46

19

3.40

4.76

2.87

49

17

3.40

5.25

2.97

52

16

3.50

8.44

3.29

62

12

3.22

2.64d

2.48

32

20

4.14

2.92

2.70

35

20

4.28

3.48

3.32

38

18

4.35

4.81

3.35

43

15

4.12

7.58

4.14

65

13

4.30

8.13

3.64

68

15

4.35

Plainfield loamy sand

Variations in exchangeable calcium and magnesium were achieved by adding up to 7,700 lb/a
gypsum and 15,400 lb/a Epsom salt.
b No statistically significant yield differences were obtained.
c Exchangeable calcium and magnesium ranged from 1,640 to 3,040 lb/a and 380 to 744 lb/a,
respectively. Expressed on a lb/a exchangeable basis.
d Exchangeable calcium and magnesium ranged from 950 to 2,050 lb/a and 240 to 390, respectively.
Expressed on a lb/a exchangeable basis.
Data selected from Simson, C.R., R.B. Corey and M.E. Sumner, 1979. Effect of varying Ca:Mg ratios
on yield and composition of corn and alfalfa. Commun. in Soil Sci. and Plant Anal. 10:153162.

Soil calcium to magnesium ratiosShould you be concerned?

Another question often asked
about Ca:Mg ratios is the concern that
cropping may lead to high or even
harmful or toxic levels of magnesium in
soil. In Wisconsin research, the Ca:Mg
ratio remained the same or increased
after cropping on all tested soils except
the Boone loamy sand (table 3). In
the case of the Boone sand, the ratio
decreased as a result of a lowering of
the exchangeable calcium rather than
an increase in exchangeable magnesium
(from 75/50 to 50/50 lb; or a ratio
change from 1.5:1 to 1:1).

Potential problems

ecently, paper mill lime sludge

(mainly CaCO3) has become
available as a calcitic liming material.
Using this material as a source of
calcium to bring Ca:Mg ratios into
balance on soils not requiring
lime can result in severe nutrient
deficiencies. Because of the presence of
hydrated lime, Ca(OH)2, in paper mill
lime sludge, soil pH values can quickly
reach 9.0 when excessive quantities are
applied. Under such conditions, trace
elements as well as magnesium can
become deficient.

Table 3. Change in the ratio of exchangeable calcium to

exchangeable magnesium with cropping.
Soil
Plainfield sand
Boone loamy sand
Gale silt loam
Ontonagon silt loam
a

Gypsum (CaSO4) and calcitic

limestone (CaCO3) often may be
recommended to balance Ca:Mg ratios.
However, continued application of
gypsum or calcitic lime results in wide
Ca:Mg ratios. This may give rise to
magnesium-deficient forage which
causes grass tetany in grazing animals.
Once this stage is reached, it becomes
very expensive to add sufficient
magnesium to remedy the situation.

Recommendations

Ca:Mg ratio
Uncropped
Cropped
7.9:1 a
(850/108)

8.7:1
(590/68)

1.5:1
(75/50)

1:1
(50/50)

2.6:1
(540/206)

4.3:1
(2,040/472)

3.9:1
(1,930/490)

4.2:1
(2,660/634)

The numbers in parentheses are the actual pounds of exchangeable calcium/

exchangeable magnesium.

Calcium deficiencies in Wisconsin

are rare in soils above pH 6.0.
However, if a crop requiring a low
pH is being grown and liming is not
recommended, gypsum can supply
calcium to the crop.
If liming is required, a dolomitic or
calcitic liming material will supply
sufficient calcium to maintain crop
growth. Dolomitic lime sources
have the added benefit of increasing
available magnesium.
Choose the most economical liming
material when liming is required.
Do not apply gypsum or calcitic
limestone to Wisconsin soils simply
to increase soil Ca:Mg ratios.
If you choose a liming material low
in magnesium, be careful to avoid
magnesium deficiencies. High
calcium applications alone can
decrease soil and plant magnesium
levels. If the soil is acid and
originally has a low magnesium
content, adding a calcitic (low Mg)
liming material or high rates of
gypsum could induce a magnesium
deficiency.

Authors: E. E. Schulte and K. A. Kelling are professors of soil science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of
Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Wisconsin-Extension Cooperative Extension.
Produced by Cooperative Extension Publications, University of Wisconsin-Extension.
University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX
requirements.
This publication is available from your Wisconsin county Extension office or from Extension Publications. To order, call
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A2986 Soil calcium to magnesium ratiosShould you be concerned?

SR-11-93